Going to the Onsen (Japanese Hot Springs)

We decided that we need to do things on Saturday to take advantage of the time here in Tokyo. And with the weather slightly cooler, we opted to try going to an Onsen.

Onsen, or Hot Springs, are located all over the country. There is even one in the suburbs of Tokyo. Sanga no Yu is located a short walk (we took a taxi) from Futago Tamagawa station. Here is the link to the onsen. http://www.setaonsen.co.jp/onsen/index.html




You go inside, take off your shoes, and check in. Then up the stairs to get your towel and to the men's / women's changing areas. The blue sign in the background is the men's area.




Once inside, you undress completely. There is an open room where you wash yourself before you go into the Hot Springs. And yes, you "in the buff" the whole time. You do have a small towel about the size of a big wash cloth to cover yourself.

In this Onsen, there is a also an outdoor area where you can have a swimsuit on. We met up in that area. The water was a comfortable 42 deg C. It is a natural hot springs which means that the water has a lot of minerals.

Inside (in the "birthday suit" area) there were several pools to choose from - a large pool, a cold water pool, a jaccuzi style pool, and a pool where you could recline. There was also a sauna room that was 90 deg C.

Tommy was a little freaked out at first, but he got used to it. Kaela thought it was fantastic.

We are definitely going back sometime.

- Posted from my iPad

Living in Azabu Juban

We are getting used to our neighborhood here.  The picture above is Azabu Juban subway station.  This entrance marks the start of Azabu Juban Dori (a great shopping street).  I'll be writing about the shops and restaurants soon.  In the meantime, here is a picture of Tommy next to a small square.  The red shop in the background is a great French bistro.

We went to a small Japanese place the other night, and Kaela found a fan with a drawing that I thought looked like her.

Harajuku

Yesterday we ventured out to one of the nicer shopping areas in Tokyo, Omotesando. A good friend of mine showed me a great gyoza place there a few years ago. And my son wanted to get gyoza for lunch. My daughter was going to meet up with a friend she met over the summer who happened to be in Tokyo.

Next to Omotesando is Harajuku. It is mostly known for being a teenager hangout, and for the place where Japanese women dress up like baby dolls. I don't understand why, but in a land where everyone is pressured to conform, I guess some people need a way to express themselves.



- Posted from my iPad

What a difference a day makes

With a long layover in JFK, we decided to head into Manhattan and get lunch. We debated what kind of food to get since we would be leaving for Japan in a few hours, and this would be our last "American" meal. So of course we decided on French food.

Many years ago when I worked in NY, a friend stumbled on La Bonne Soup. It is a cozy French Bistro located on 55th street between 5th and 6th. They have wonderful French Onion Soup. But, their Croque-monsieur is even better.

After our lunch, we got back to JFK and got on our 13 hour flight. We left Monday evening and arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday (a day later). Walking out of the airport, we were hit with a wall of heat and humidity that made it difficult to breathe. And that was at 11pm at night. It got worse the next day.

With a heat index of 104 degrees, the whole "it will be great to walk everywhere and take public transportation" idea seemed a little crazy. But, the temperature is supposed to go down next week. And at least we have air conditioning in our apartment.

We did visit the American School yesterday and walked past this nice temple with a perfectly manicured tree. I love the attention to detail.



- Posted from my iPad

Tokyo here we come

I like the image of a mother cat carrying her kitten which is the logo for the friendly guys at Yamato Transport.

The movers from Yamato arrived this AM and packed up our things.  Our biggest concern was not to take too much stuff.  And it was liberating to decide what things you need and what we are content to leave behind.  

We are moving from our 1740s farmhouse in Massachusetts to a 3 bedroom apartment in the center of Tokyo.  Our house is great for what it is.  But, I have to admit, it will be nice in the winter to have some carpet under foot. 

I fly out with 2 of my kids on Monday.  And my wife will come as soon as she gets our oldest daughter settled into her dorm at college.

Turtle trouble

I decided to go fly fishing this morning. It will be the last time I fish in Mass before moving to Tokyo. I started off the morning catching a nice rainbow. It was about 12-13" with beautiful color. I took this picture and then unhooked him. I'm a "catch and release" person. So I did what I always do. I let the fish go back in the river. I should mention that I was standing in the river in slow moving water almost waist deep.

I assumed the fish would swim away, but immediately there was a splash to my left about a foot or two away from my side. I thought that was strange since fish usually swim quickly away. I looked down and saw the biggest turtle I have ever seen - with the rainbow in it's mouth. It was a snapping turtle that must have been 2 1/2 feet long. I tried to take a picture of it.

The fish is on the left side of the picture. You can barely see that the turtle has it in its mouth.



In this picture, you can see more of the turtle's shell.




Needless to say, I was pretty uncomfortable with a giant snapping turtle right next to me. I'm glad I fed it a trout. Otherwise, I'm thinking that my leg could have looked a lot like lunch.

- Posted from my iPad

Summer

Hydrangea always makes me think of summer. This plant is in my front yard, and for years it wouldn't bloom. A friend of mine suggested that I cut it back all the way. I wasn't sure about that approach because I know that hydrangea bloom on prior year's growth. But I took a chance and cut it to the ground. Sure enough it grew back in year one. And now it has blooms all over.


- Posted from my iPhone